59 questions. Try each one, then open the answer to check yourself and read the explanation.
Which political system allows only one ideology for the state?
Answer: A (Socialism)
A socialist (communist-type) state allows only the official state ideology and suppresses rival ideologies; the other options are not single-ideology systems in this sense.
In a representative government, citizens exercise their political power
Answer: B (indirectly)
In representative government citizens elect representatives who make decisions for them, so they exercise power indirectly.
The essence of the concept of devolution is to cater for the interest of the
Answer: C (minority)
Devolution transfers some powers from the centre to regional or local units. Its main purpose is to let minority groups and local areas look after their own interests instead of being swamped by the majority.
A country's constitution may be derived from which one of the following sources?
Answer: D (Customs and conventions)
Customs and conventions are a recognised source of constitutions, alongside statutes, judicial decisions and learned writings.
Representative governments around the world pay attention to public opinion because of the following factors except
Answer: A (protection of the government from media scrutiny)
Public opinion gives feedback and shows if government is popular; it does not shield government from media scrutiny.
The determination and execution of government policies is the core function of the
Answer: C (Civil Service)
The civil service advises on policy and carries it out.
Public corporation has a legal personality which means that
Answer: B (it can sue and be sued)
Being a legal person means the corporation can own property, sign contracts and sue or be sued in its own name.
Local Government authorities may not receive cooperation from the local people due to the issue of
Answer: A (top bottom approach to development)
When projects are imposed from above without consulting local people (top-down), the people do not feel ownership and withhold cooperation.
Delegated legislation can be controlled by
Answer: C (parliamentary question time)
Parliament controls delegated legislation by questioning ministers, reviewing and annulling the rules.
A one party system imposed by law with all other parties proscribed is
Answer: B (a de jure one party system)
A de jure one-party state is one where the law (constitution) allows only one party and bans the rest.
Multi-party system is saddled with the problem of
Answer: A (divisiveness)
Many parties, often based on ethnic or religious groups, can divide the country.
One of the importance of voting in a democracy is that, it
Answer: C (commits citizens to the political system)
By voting, citizens take part in choosing leaders and so feel part of, and loyal to, the political system.
An electoral system in which the electorate elects a small group of people who in turn elects political office holders is known as
Answer: C (electoral college)
In an electoral college system voters choose electors who then elect the office holder (e.g. the US president).
Most pressure groups especially in West Africa fail to achieve their goals as a result of
Answer: D (corrupt leadership)
Leaders of many pressure groups are bribed or compromised by government, weakening the groups.
A pressure group which resorts to violence as a means of pressing home its demands is described as
Answer: A (anomic)
Anomic groups are spontaneous groups that use riots and violence to press their demands.
Press control is necessary for a state particularly in the area of
Answer: C (state security and secrets)
Even free societies restrict publication of state secrets that could endanger national security.
The media helps to enrich discourse on national issues through its
Answer: B (editorial comments)
Editorials give the media's considered opinion on issues and stimulate public debate.
Information dissemination and communication in a political environment had been made faster and easier with the advent of
Answer: D (social media)
Social media lets information reach millions instantly.
The passing of laws by an arm of government to regulate society is the function of the
Answer: C (legislature)
The legislature is the law-making organ of government.
Militant nationalism in British West Africa after World War II sought to
Answer: B (overthrow colonialism)
After 1945 nationalists demanded an end to colonial rule and immediate self-government.
Proto-nationalism was a movement limited to the demands for
Answer: D (social amenities and political participation.)
Early (proto-) nationalists did not ask for independence; they asked for reforms within the colonial system, such as amenities and a share in government.
The youth movements across British West African territories served as a spring board for the formation of
Answer: B (political parties to champion the course of self-rule)
Youth movements such as the NYM and the Gold Coast Youth Conference trained leaders who later formed political parties to fight for self-rule.
A country's foreign policy is foremost driven by
Answer: D (national interest)
Every state's foreign policy aims first at protecting and advancing its national interest.
The first inter-territorial political movement organized in the 1920s which sought to bring all the British West African territories together to fight the colonial establishment was the
Answer: C (National Congress of British West Africa.)
The NCBWA (1920) brought together elites from Nigeria, Gold Coast, Sierra Leone and Gambia.
The African Union is unable to play its role on the global political scene very well due to the
Answer: D (divided loyalty among member states)
Members are tied to different blocs and former colonial powers, so they often do not speak with one voice.
Which of the following options does the Commonwealth of Nations commit resources to?
Answer: D (promotion of representative democracy)
The Commonwealth promotes democracy, good governance and human rights among members.
Which summit drew the road map for the implementation of the African Union?
Answer: B (Lusaka Summit)
The Sirte Declaration (1999) called for the AU, Lome (2000) adopted its Constitutive Act, and the Lusaka Summit (2001) drew the road map for implementing it.
One of the benefits which the West African states derive from the United Nations is
Answer: A (equal opportunities of appointments to its highest office)
Any member's citizen can be appointed to top UN posts; e.g. Kofi Annan of Ghana became Secretary-General. No African state is a permanent Security Council member.
The Atlantic Charter gave birth to the
Answer: C (United Nations)
The 1941 Atlantic Charter of Roosevelt and Churchill laid the principles that led to the United Nations.
Which of the following factors does not influence a country's foreign policy?
Answer: C (System of education and number of universities)
Population, location and international law shape foreign policy; the number of universities does not.
In which political system does the government control every aspect of a citizen's life?
Answer: C (Totalitarianism)
A totalitarian state seeks total control of political, economic, social and private life.
The administrative head of the ministry is the
Answer: C (permanent secretary)
The permanent secretary is the most senior civil servant and administrative head of a ministry.
The sovereignty of a state can be limited to a great extent by
Answer: C (International laws and conventions)
By signing treaties and joining international bodies, a state accepts rules that limit its freedom of action.
A coalition government is a common feature of a
Answer: B (multi-party system)
With many parties, no single one often wins a majority, so parties combine to form a coalition.
The appointment of judges is based on the recommendation of the
Answer: D (Judicial Service)
The Judicial Service Commission (in Nigeria, the National Judicial Council) recommends judges for appointment.
Which of the following options is not a function of political parties?
Answer: A (Policy implementation)
Parties educate, socialise and aggregate interests; implementing policy is the work of the executive and civil service.
In an election, secret ballot is described as the process where the voter
Answer: A (is screened off to conceal the vote)
In a secret ballot the voter marks the ballot privately, behind a screen, so no one knows whom he voted for.
In which system of government does the legislature pass a vote of no confidence in the government?
Answer: B (Cabinet)
In the cabinet system the government depends on parliament's support and can be removed by a vote of no confidence.
The concept of social justice implies that the state must ensure
Answer: C (equality of citizens)
Social justice means fair and equal treatment of all citizens in the sharing of rights and opportunities.
The basic human rights of citizens in a state are
Answer: C (right to life, liberty and property)
Life, liberty and property are the classic basic rights; free education and health are not basic rights.
A quasi-federal structure is so arranged in order for the
Answer: A (centre to coordinate national level programmes)
A quasi-federal system is federal in form but gives the centre more power so that it can coordinate national programmes.
When a superior court declares an action of the executive ultra-vires, it means that
Answer: D (the action is illegal and of no effect.)
Ultra vires means 'beyond the powers'; the court has found the action outside legal authority, so it is void.
Which of the following options does not constitute the main objectives of the United Nations?
Answer: D (The use of force to comply with its provisions)
The UN's main aims are peace, cooperation and human well-being; force is only a last resort, not an objective.
The Economic Community of West African States was established with the following aims except to
Answer: A (use force to depose unconstitutional regimes)
ECOWAS was set up in 1975 for economic cooperation, not to remove governments by force. (After the 2020s coups it threatened force in Niger, which helped push Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger to leave in 2024–25.)
The process of international integration arising from the inter-change of world views, products, ideas and other aspects of culture is known as
Answer: B (globalization)
Globalisation is the growing worldwide exchange of goods, ideas and culture that links countries together.
One negative effect of colonialism on the people of West Africa over the years is the
Answer: C (change of the socio-political systems of living)
Colonialism destroyed or weakened traditional political and social systems and ways of life.
The Council of Elders in the pre-colonial political institution of West Africa best served on the Council as
Answer: D (representatives of the commoners.)
Elders in the council represented their lineages and wards, speaking for ordinary people before the ruler.
Public corporations are struggling in the West African States as a result of
Answer: A (heavy social and political cost)
Public corporations are burdened by political appointments, interference and social obligations (low fees, overstaffing), which make them inefficient.
The following options are today the biggest threat to the democracy of West African States except
Answer: D (non involvement of traditional rulers in politics)
Electoral violence, coups (as in Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso and Niger since 2020) and youth unemployment threaten democracy; keeping traditional rulers out of partisan politics does not.
Identify five reasons for which citizens lose trust in government.
Any five: widespread corruption; unemployment and poverty; high cost of living/inflation; insecurity (kidnapping, terrorism, banditry); failure to provide social amenities; extravagance of officials; disregard for rule of law; human rights abuses; election rigging; unfulfilled campaign promises; nepotism and tribalism; press censorship; poor service delivery.
Five reasons; one line each.
In what five ways can the electoral management body ensure fair play in an electoral contest in Nigeria?
Any five: up-to-date and accurate voters' register; impartial, well-trained staff; timely and adequate distribution of materials; use of technology (BVAS, electronic transmission of results); transparent counting and announcement at polling units; equal treatment of all parties and candidates; enforcing campaign finance and conduct rules; voter education; working with security agencies to stop violence and vote buying; prosecution of electoral offenders; independence from government in funding and appointments.
Five practical steps the body itself can take.
Highlight five negative impacts on a state should the judiciary fail to live up to its constitutional mandate.
Any five: abuse of human rights; breakdown of the rule of law; dictatorship/abuse of power by other organs; loss of public confidence in courts; people taking the law into their hands (jungle justice); corruption and impunity; electoral injustice and political crises; discourages foreign investment; delay and denial of justice; social unrest and instability.
Link each point to a failure of the courts.
Identify five differences between the state as an entity and government as an institution.
Any five pairs: the state is permanent, government is temporary; the state is abstract, government is concrete (people/officials); the state is sovereign, government exercises sovereignty on behalf of the state; the state includes all citizens, government is a small group of people; the state has population, territory, government and sovereignty as features, government is only one of them; states are fewer and alike in essence, governments differ in form (democratic, military etc.); one cannot sue the state in the same way, but government can be criticised and changed; the state owns sovereignty, government is its agent.
Write each as a pair: the state ... while government ...
Explain five reasons for the decline in public trust of the media in your country.
Any five, explained: politicisation/partisanship of media owners; spread of fake news and misinformation; sensationalism and unverified reports; bribery ('brown envelope' journalism); ownership by government or politicians; marginalising the opposition; ethnic and religious bias; unprofessional conduct and poorly trained journalists; government censorship and intimidation causing self-censorship; commercial pressure from advertisers.
Explain each reason in a sentence.
Identify five ways in which traditional rulers controlled their subjects in pre-colonial Nigeria.
Any five: making and enforcing laws and customs; settling disputes/judicial powers; imposing taxes, tributes and levies; using religion (rulers seen as divine/representatives of the gods) and oracles; use of the army/warriors and palace guards; age grades and secret societies (e.g. Ogboni) to enforce rules; banishment, fines and other sanctions; appointment and control of title holders and chiefs; control of land allocation.
Five methods with a brief example each.
Outline five significant provisions of the 1989 Third Republican Constitution which deepened the democratic development of Nigeria.
Any five: presidential system with separation of powers; federal system with a central government, states and local governments; two-party system (SDP and NRC) to reduce ethnic parties; fundamental human rights entrenched; independent National Electoral Commission; local government as third tier with democratically elected councils; Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal to check corruption; independent judiciary; fixed tenures for elected officials; federal character principle; impeachment procedure for checking the executive.
Five provisions, each linked to democracy.
Highlight five benefits which the adoption of federalism has brought to the political development of Nigeria.
Any five: unity in diversity – holds the many ethnic groups together; protection of minorities through state creation; brings government closer to the people; allows each state to develop at its own pace; reduces fear of domination; encourages competition among states; federal character promotes national representation; training ground for leaders at state and local levels; division of powers prevents dictatorship.
Five benefits; one sentence each.
(a) What is meant by E-Government?
(b) Explain five benefits which Nigeria stands to gain in adopting E-Governance.
(a) The use of information and communication technology (internet, mobile and digital platforms) by government to deliver services, share information and interact with citizens and businesses.
(b) Any five, explained: faster and more efficient service delivery; transparency and less corruption (fewer face-to-face dealings); reduced cost of governance (less paperwork, travel); easier citizen participation and feedback; better record keeping and data for planning; improved revenue collection (e.g. e-tax, TSA); wider access to services in remote areas; ease of doing business, attracting investment; job creation in the ICT sector.
Define e-government, then explain five benefits.
Highlight five compelling reasons for which Nigeria interacts with international organizations.
Any five: to promote peace and security (peacekeeping); for economic benefits – trade, aid, loans and investment; to protect national interest and sovereignty; to project a good image/prestige and influence; to promote African unity and decolonisation; to tackle common problems (terrorism, climate change, pandemics, drug trafficking); technical and educational assistance; to protect Nigerians abroad; regional integration (ECOWAS, AU).
Five reasons, each briefly explained.